During the 2004-5 school year, the Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance) received a grant from Washington Gas (WG) to initiate a Green School Pilot Program in two schools in Washington DC -- Shaw Junior High and Spingarn High School.
The program was launched in October 2004 with a full day of training. Green School Teams comprised of students, teachers, and custodial staff received energy efficiency instructional materials, and training in project-based energy education. They also gained access to professional energy audit tools for conducting student research projects.
During the year, green school teams at both schools carried out numerous activities. Teachers used math, science, and English lesson plans from the Green School Instructional Resources binder to teach energy concepts to students. Students applied these concepts through various activities: Shaw Junior High students prepared energy saving tip brochures to distribute to the broader community during the Parent Teacher Association meeting in May. Spingarn students worked with their teachers to conduct a lighting audit of one of the school’s hallways, and used energy tracking tools to record and graph several variables in their classroom, such as temperature, humidity and light.
Washington Gas was an important collaborator during the pilot program. In February, WG staff came to both schools to teach students about uses of gas and distributed a home energy saving kits. In addition, WG staff members carried out preliminary audit work by identifying energy saving opportunities at both schools. The preliminary findings uncovered by the walk-through audits will allow each school to develop more specific energy saving plans in the future.
With support from school administrators, over 80 students, four teachers and several custodians gained a stronger understanding about the impact of energy use within their schools and homes. As a result, students and teachers shared this knowledge with others outside the classroom.
To find out more about this program, please contact Merrilee Harrigan, 202-530-2215.